In 2009 Australian actor Hugh Jackman and his wife Deb travelled to Kochere Ethiopia as global ambassadors for World Vision Australia. It was there Hugh met a coffee farmer named Dukale. He was growing delicious coffee and with the use of some simple technology he had zero carbon footprint. Hugh worked with Dukale on the farm, planted some coffee trees named after his children (Ava and Oscar) and spent time with his family and community. He was so moved by Dukale’s spirit, leadership and laughter and realized that there are coffee farmers communities like Dukale around the world whose story needs to be told and more importantly whose coffee needs to be tasted. Hugh promised Dukale he would help and Laughing Man was born.
Fast forward and on from when Dukale first met Hugh and Deborra-Lee and his business is thriving. World Vision partnered with Dukale to construct a methane gas system that converts cow manure into lamplight and cooking flame. His family no longer spends their days collecting firewood. Dukale has increased production on his farm, hired more local workers, and re-invested his profits to buy more land. His children are in school, his wife owns a small shop in the village, and he’s teaching his fellow farmers cutting-edge agricultural techniques. The documentary film Dukale’s Dream highlights the challenges faced by farmers like Dukale. The movie documents the six-year journey that Hugh and Deborra-Lee embarked upon after traveling to Ethiopia. At the heart of the documentary is Hugh and Deborra-Lee’s journey to better understand how to make an impact on extreme poverty, as they learn about the effectiveness of community development, fair trade, and education in reducing global poverty.
For more information: www.laughingmancoffee.com/pages/foundation